'Green' trans-Atlantic cable set to launch in 2012

The Wellcome Trust charitable foundation has stepped outside the world of healthcare research funding and taken a stake in a new trans-Atlantic cable system.

The Emerald Atlantis submarine cable system has been given the green light after securing vendor TE SubCom to deploy the 5,200 km sub-sea network. The first phase of the cable deployment will provide high capacity between the US, Canada, UK and Iceland.

Its cable route survey between UK and Canada commences in early August and the Emerald Express system will enter service in late 2012.

Emerald Atlantis pitches the project as a “green” development that offers low latency trans-Atlantic bandwidth and low-cost green energy data centres in Iceland. Emerald Express has been designed to support 100x100 Gbps on each of its six fibre pairs, and two branching units will be positioned off Newfoundland and Ireland for future connectivity.

“The cable project will meet the tremendous demand for bandwidth driven by cloud services, while providing Iceland with the required connectivity to support the anticipated explosive growth of low cost, 100% carbon free, renewable energy powered data centres, in which the Wellcome Trust, has a major investment,” said EA president Greg Varisco.

“The industry is shifting its commitment to new trans-Atlantic bandwidth and TE SubCom is looking forward to working with the Emerald Atlantis team in the US and Iceland to deliver this unique IT infrastructure project within budget and on time,” said Michael Rieger, TE SubCom VP of Global Sale.s

The privately owned and funded Emerald Atlantis is registered in the Isle of Man and has offices in Houston Texas and Reykjavik. ®